Game of Life
by Evil Bunny King
Summary: Despite Yawgmoth's demise, the land of Dominaria is still plagued by trouble, sparked by greed and corruption. Daniele, an aspiring MTG player finds himself transported to the shattered realm. Will he find his way home or is he already home?
1. New Dawn

Wizards of the coast owns Magic The Gathering and all its characters and trademarks and stuff. I'll humbly own the characters of my own creation.   
  
This story will be post Apocalypse, which means Yawgmoth got killed, but he brought most of Dominaria down with him anyways, so bummer.

* * *

Prelude : New Dawn  
  
A bright morning greeted the little town of Braskaras. The sun bathed the earth with its radiance and might, sending warmth to even the darkest corner of Dominaria. Corner, though might be an understatement.  
  
Yawgmoth, the dark lord of time, the greatest evil to have tainted this very lands, and many other realms, has been defeated. In his fall, what remains is calm and peace and silence, eerie silence. Dominaria's thriving population and colorful races have been reduced to small colonies and shattered families.   
  
Braskaras was once a bustling port town. But Yawgmoth's descend from what would seem the dark heavens had taken away almost everything. The town was now a place for vizier folk and weeping children to reside. All the young and able, had lost their lives in battle.   
  
It was a bright morning, but a morning of little promise.  
  
Aron stretched his weary limbs, ignoring the pops of joints and slight crackle of brittle bones. He has aged much since the last trouble free dawn, and though he was grateful for the subtle peace the townspeople now enjoy, he knew this perfect façade was as temporary as youth.   
  
Taking his walking stick, Aron slowly walked out of his tattered home. The kitchen had lost its ceiling, and Aron had yet to remove the Phyrexian soldier which had made a hole through the wall. A sword, glistening with oil, lay embedded into the machine's torso. Oil still trickled from the lifeless corpse, and a pool had took form.   
  
"A good morning to you Aron!"  
  
Aron turned his attention to Hunthor, dragging along his broken leg to greet the old man. Hunthor was a fine warrior, stationed in this town like many of his comrades during the war. Of all of them, only he survived long enough to witness Yawgmoth's demise.  
  
Aron replied with a smile. Hunthor had finally don clothes and shoes, instead of armour and boots. A great burden must have been lifted off the warrior's shoulders.   
  
Hunthor smiled at Aron, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Aron, we have a problem. Peace hasn't been achieved as of yet. Random Phyrexian forces, now aimless but still aggressive, wander in search of victims."  
  
Hunthor paused to redirect his hearing to a rustling of leaves as a soft breeze blew. Aron could tell his suspicious mind was on the prowl again. Probably trying to identify intruders.   
  
"Anyways, Aron, this town needs a leader. And unanimously, the town has agreed you lead the town back to its former glory." Hunthor finished with an encouraging pat on the back.   
  
Aron's eyes widened. It was a sudden request.   
  
"Le..leader? Me? Lead this town?" exclaimed Aron. He surveyed the surroundings. There was much to do if the town was to recover.   
  
Aron pondered for awhile, and then, quite suddenly, he blurted out. "Well, they don't call me old for nothing. I'll do my best."  
  
Hunthor merely smiled at the veteran scholar.

* * *

A bright morning greeted the city of New York. Already, traffic was building up on the streets. Most of the people were up and going, having the daily schedules and deadline to meet.   
  
High up in one of the rooms of one of the many illustrious hotels, a teenager boy had yet to rise. The curtains were drawn tight, to whisk away any sunlight. Occasionally, blades of light would pierce the apathetic curtains, and pillows would rise in defense to their master's precious eyes.   
  
That was when a loud ruckus erupted from underneath the sheets. Daniele rolled off the bed in surprise, and sat on the floor dazed, before glaring at his ringing, vibrating and flashing hand phone. Sluggishly, Daniele disabled the alarm before staring into his watch.  
  
"10 am! Oh my god!"  
  
In less than 10 minutes, Daniele was rushing out of the door with his backpack entailed. The Magic Tournament was about to start. He wasn't going to miss it for the world.   
  
If Daniele had been anymore attentive, he'd have noticed a strange soft moaning of sorts and a trickle of bright light ebbing out of his backpack before residing away seconds later.   
  
Daniele hastily hailed a taxi, and was soon on his way to the tournament center. Daniele checked his backpack, check listing the cards in his deck. "All intact." Daniele satisfyingly declared to himself.   
  
The cab driver merely smiled at the aspiring teenager.


	2. Eyes of the Destined

Wizards of the coast owns Magic The Gathering and all its characters and trademarks and stuff. I'll humbly own the characters of my own creation.   
  
I actually planned for this chapter to contain the prelude, but I thought I'd split them up for more depth. 

* * *

It had been a year, and Braskaras has returned to its former image of a bustling, hustling port town. During peak periods, the port would be filled with traders and ships from all corners of Dominaria. Recently, strong gales had redirected many ships to other more fortified forts, and Braskaras displayed a tinge of silence from the former desolation prior to Yawgmoth's campaign.   
  
Aron wet the tip of his feathered quill with ink, and started his report of this year's earnings. With a few strokes, Aron recorded the new arrival of Powerstones from Koilos. Mentally, he complained about the recent price stake due to a high demand by other areas as well. Urborg ships had been closing trouble as of late and pirates have been known to sneak up on wealthy merchants once in awhile.   
  
A small ripple form inside the bottle of ink. Aron lifted his head away from the scroll. It's them again.  
  
From the distance, hooves on cobbled road reverberated throughout the port town. Aron slowly got up from his chair and straightened his clothes.   
  
Within minutes, the pounding hooves stopped. The neighing and snorting of horses were quelled by loud shouts and strict commands by their riders. The riders had stopped right in front of Aron's adobe and he recognised the impatient hammer on his door.   
  
Another round of clobbering echoed loud and clear, and Aron picked up annoyed mumblings by the initiator of ruckus. Aron sighed. Time to put on that insincere smile.   
  
Aron undid the locks, and pulled the door aside to reveal the irritated face of Captain Gray. The captain was adorned in shiny armor and his unkempt beard further complemented the authoritative figure. Aron pulled a wide smile.  
  
"What brings you to our humble town once more, captain?" Aron emphasized the 'once more', owing to their visit just days ago.  
  
Gray threw an irritated glance at Aron, disapproving his sarcasm. Aron returned in kind, his stare lacking the intensity of the captain's though. Gray's hands seem to creep closer and closer to his waist, where his burly blade laid idly in its sheath. Instead, he pulled out a scroll wedged into his belt, now ruffled and disfigured.   
  
Talk about brutish folk, Aron mused with a grin. Gray's eyes narrowed, the pupils never leaving the face of Aron even as he unrolled the scroll. With a deep, resonating voice, Gray then announced the contents of the scroll.  
  
"By orders of Noble Lady Eileen, every town must contribute 10,000 gold coins to the efforts of New Agrivia to rebuild and restructure the once, mighty land. Failure to comply will result in arrest of the town elder and prosecution in court."  
  
Aron couldn't believe his ears. 10,000 gold coins was robbery! The army might as well march right in and loot the town. And to think just days ago, Aron had presented the same captain with 5,000 gold coins for 'the drafting of Agrivia's royal army'.   
  
Aron remained a calm face and cleared his throat. "My pardon good captain. But this small port town is already suffering from the turbulent weather. Anymore contributions and we would run dry."  
  
The captain merely grunted. "That is not of my concern old man, your town is the most pathetic of the lot. Save me the unpleasant stay here and hand over the money." Gray gestured to his subordinates and they produced a large chest, already brimming with gold coins from other towns.   
  
Diverting his view, Aron also spotted a large cage, being pulled by a large muzzled Kavu. Three fearful faces stare out of the confines. It would seem Aron wasn't the only one rejecting the proposal. Gray caught the straying of Aron's eyes, and grinned. "That's right old man. Refuse us and you join those three inside."  
  
The lesser soldiers smirked as well, as though eager to put Aron behind bars.   
  
There was a certain fire in Aron's eyes.

* * *

It had been but a minute or so, but Daniele felt that it had been hours. Father Time was playing mind games on him as usual, especially during dire times like this. Daniele wiped off the sweat on his hands with his handkerchief, not letting his gaze leave the lanky fellow before him. Slouching shoulders and tired eyes were common traits for one who have endured a long battle of wits. Cards laid scattered around the table between them, all arranged in their odd fashion .  
  
Closer to Daniele, were cards depicting beasts of strength and speed. Ferocious fangs and threatening claws were the least of the defending army's worries. In Daniele's hands, the winning card was ready to be dispatched. Daniele could only grin in pleasure as his opponent tried to drown himself in a pool of sweat.  
  
The odds were definitely stacked against the poor fellow.  
  
A single dragon sat idly on the other side of the table, accompanied only by a peculiar enchantment. But it was no ordinary dragon. The dragon was of shiny blue hue, and its name was sung by many, all fixated by the creature's magnificence. In one fell swoop, the merciless Dromar would send soldiers and cowards alike departing for the world of non-existent, banishing them to the far corners of an unknown abyss. Yet, Dromar's credentials has been undermined for the dragon is now needed as guardian.   
  
On the other end, Daniele commanded a slew of Kavus. A Kavu Titan prepared to led the final attack. Daniele held the card in his hand with glee. This was worth the wait. Turning 4 lands sideways, Daniele declared the addition of four mana to his mana pool. The opponent flinched, fearing the worst from Daniele's hand. Arithmetically, Daniele can't win this turn, lacking a total of 4 damage to finish the job. Despite the comforting thought, heartbeat stopped when Daniele declared the attack.  
  
Dromar swoop forward to halt the advance of the Kavu Titan, both magnificent beast battling it out for supremacy. In the midst of a battle of such titanic proportions, the lesser kavus were ignored, and they eagerly awaited the chance to strike. The opponent played a prevention spell to save his pet dragon, willing to take the risk and withstand the less significant damage.   
  
Daniele's grin grew in boundaries. He dropped the last card from his hand. The opponent, who surprisingly didn't look a tad surprised, was nonetheless unnerved. It was over. He extended a congratulating hand, and Daniele squeezed it gladly.   
  
The onlookers cheered the victor and consoled the loser. Distracted by all the ruckus, Daniele and everyone else in the hall, failed to notice the winning card, being a Might of Oaks, produce a hint of light and radiance, before falling back to its original state of dull colour.   
  
Away from the crowd, peering from behind a corner though, was a mysterious hooded figure. When the card shone, he absent-mindedly charged out, but stopped to hide behind a pillar, avoiding wandering eyes. The figure's very own were not-of-this-world. Unlike most people, it glinted of purplish tint. Above all, it failed to hide the anger within his heart, both eyes slanting down towards the middle.   
  
There was a certain evil in the eyes as well.


	3. Of Ill Winds And Rats

Wizards of the coast owns Magic The Gathering and all its characters and trademarks and stuff. I'll humbly own the characters of my own creation.   
  
Chapter 3 : Daniele will receive full spotlight in this chapter, since I realize I need to start building up towards the fateful day. Enjoy, and please R&R. I'm always open for constructive criticism.

* * *

To the victor the spoils of war goes. And Daniele was one happy guy.  
  
The joys of popping rares out of boosters had yet to lose its fancy on the teenager as he marveled at the new set. Odyssey they called it, and Daniele's eyes sparkled at the prospects. New mechanics, new flavors, and definitely new decks to come.   
  
"They seemed to have shifted the storyline towards Otaria, some island declared part of Dominaria. Intriguing, isn't it?"  
  
Daniele groaned at the voice of his female compatriot. Jessica had the luck to meet the winner of the tournament personally when she bumped into Daniele while he munched at his burger at the parlor. At first, Daniele had found her a sight for sore eyes, and was even more surprised to find that she was an avid fan of Magic the Gathering, the passion of Daniele's life. Yet, it was to Daniele's disappointment that Jessica didn't enjoy the game, at least not as much as she enjoyed the stories.   
  
Depicting the battle between the Weatherlight and the dark lord Yawgmoth had been a boring enough affair to Daniele, but Jessica found it a delight to tell. She would stop occasionally to highlight the bravery of Captain Sisay, or the bond shared between Gerrard and Hanna. And that was when Daniele concluded that Jessica was just like any other girl out there.   
  
Daniele pulled out his deck and looked through his arsenal. Each card had been handpicked to complement each other. The Kavus worked in great synergy with the spells of the deck but Daniele saw a new trend bubbling under the surface with the release of the new set. It could throw his deck into disarray.   
  
Jessica brushed her long, dark brown hair aside, complaining at the sudden wind. Daniele was too engrossed at formulating new combos and strategies to bother about a little wind.  
  
Of course, 'little' was an understatement.   
  
Before long, the 'little' breeze soon grew into a mighty gale. Jessica shrieked as flimsy furniture toppled and tumbled, and cups slid off tables and crashed onto the ground with a deafening sound. Daniele finally noticed the uproar, and the wacky weather. Fear started to dominate his heart, and he scrambled to keep his cards. Grabbing Jessica's hand, he gestured for them to leave the area, like the many customers of the bistro they were in, running to take cover of what would seem to be a tornado.   
  
The duo hadn't reach far, when an updraft swept them off their feet. Daniele landed flat on the belly, and moaned in pain. Blasted weather, Daniele cursed in his mind. Jessica, on the other hand, was bewildered to have felt her legs left the ground earlier. Either that, or she was wondering about the cloaked figure walking casually towards them, not showing any sign of hurry, nor any indication that the wind had any effect on him.  
  
The hooded figure seem to hover towards the duo. Jessica shrieked in horror, as the sleeves of the cloak fell back to reveal a hand of putrid flesh. Daniele had only enough time to turn towards the stranger, before the said hand grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and lifted him off the ground.  
  
In a voice most unfitting to the hand, the figure spoke, in clear and proper words.  
  
"You have been chosen, by Him, to champion the new cause. Do you accept it?"  
  
Daniele struggled to free himself from the figure, noticing a tear on his shirt. Just a little bit more, and Daniele will be released. First, he had to play dumb. Not that he knew what was actually happening.  
  
"What did you say? Can you cut the wind? I can't hear you with all that howling!"  
  
The figure raised his other hand, which to Jessica and Daniele's surprise, was a perfect muscular arm, if not slightly blue in colour. The pulsating energy encompassing the hand faded, and the wind gradually died down.   
  
"Now, I shall only ask you once more. Do you accept your destiny?"  
  
Daniele delayed to answer, clueless at what the hooded maniac had in mind. What was this 'new cause' and how on earth did the fellow manage to bend the wind to his will? All this would have to be asked in the future, as a crunching sound echoed from behind the figure, who released his grip in pain and massaged his back.   
  
Jessica breathed heavily, equipped with a half-broken stick, which look like it had once been a table leg. With all her might, she delivered another cracking beat down before running off, dragging Daniele together by the hand.   
  
They rounded a corner, and stopped to catch their breath. While Jessica peeked back to confirm their safety, Daniele was more concerned about whether he had all his cards intact. Jessica was disgusted, and slapped the cards away from Daniele's hands.   
  
"Hey, what was that for?" Daniele retorted, collecting the dispersed pile of cards. Jessica made her frustration felt, and stared daggers at Daniele's attitude. "What would you need those cards for? You just got confronted by a real life entity of that blasted game you love so much! Aren't you the least shocked?" Jessica angrily stated.   
  
Jessica's words caught his attention, though Daniele was still confused.   
  
"Hello! Blue flesh! Think!" coaxed Jessica. With Daniele's puzzled expression, Jessica sighed and answered herself. "Metathran! That guy was a Metathran! And the rotten hand probably means, though it seems impossible, that he is..."  
  
"Agnate. Yes, I believe that was my name."  
  
Abruptly, Agnate had appeared right behind the conversing duo. Daniele immediately stood up as Jessica cowered behind Daniele. Apparently, the stories of Agnate must be horrifying. Daniele threw a threatening fist at Agnate, obviously watching too much action movies, to which Agnate simply received in his cupped hand. Efficiently applying the twist, Agnate sent Daniele to his knees, howling over the pain.   
  
"Immaturity rears its ugly head. It is a wonder why He sees so much in you."  
  
Jessica was next to strike. A trashcan lid had been handy, and Jessica knew how to throw a Frisbee. Unfortunately, this time, she didn't make contact. The lid hovered in the air, surrounded by some azure aura, before hurtling towards the wall at Agnate's command. With another impulsive thought, Agnate summon a bolt of pure energy, and thrusted it towards Jessica. The force was subtle, but no one on Earth had yet to experience magic before, and Jessica was thrown backwards, landing on a pile of empty boxes.   
  
"Queer." Agnate murmured to himself. "That spell was meant to seal her movement. I must be losing my touch."  
  
Daniele was in no position to judge the effect of the spell, but he was enraged that anyone, be it a Metathran or a man, would harm Jessica. Daniele felt something he had never felt before. His blood seem to boil and his mind ached with what he deduced to be energy coursing within his veins. Agnate's purplish eyes went wide. Daniele's body was ridden with streaks of energy, mana of all five variants.   
  
"Impossible."   
  
That was the last word Agnate could say. A ball of flame erupted from within Daniele and send Agnate cruising towards a brick wall. The wall was smashed by the sheer force, and Agnate was propelled deeper into the building. Daniele's breathing regulated, as his mind identified the threat removed. Just as Daniele regained sense to notice, the new formed muscles on his body seeped away along with tendrils of green energy, like snakes slithering away.   
  
Something out of this world had happened, and Daniele could find no explanation to it. What was important now was to check on Jessica. To his relief, she was unharmed, her fall supported by the now crumpled boxes. But that cannot be said about her eyes. They were as wide as marbles.  
  
"You...you..."   
  
"I know, I launched a fireball. I don't understand myself but let's not waste anytime brooding about it. I don't think Metathrans snuff out that easily."  
  
Grabbing Jessica's hand, Daniele lead the escape, as onlookers crowded around the hole in the wall.

* * *

That night, the top story was the combustion that triggered at a certain back alley, which somehow toppled a wall on a building. The police were puzzled at the lack of proof of how either incident occurred. The absence of flammables near the back alley, and the disappearance of whatever object which managed to smash a solid brick wall further baffle the investigators.   
  
What was beyond belief was the appearance of creatures the size of cats, seemingly pulsating with some form of energy.  
  
And the most astonishing thing of them all? The creatures were mere pests, meant to be the prey of the feline hunters.   
  
Rats. 


	4. Into the Light

Wizards of the coast owns Magic The Gathering and all its characters and trademarks and stuff. I'll humbly own the characters of my own creation.  
  
Chapter 4 : Into the light  
  
P.S. Sorry for late update. Too much college work lately. As usual, please R & R.

* * *

He was being followed.  
  
At first, Daniele wasn't sure, and had happily discarded his paranoia over the other day's incident, having been left alone for close to a week. By Jessica's kindness, Daniele had been given the guest room of her house. Seeing that the next tournament in the Big Apple was just a fortnight away, and Daniele was free anyhow, he gladly accepted the invitation.  
  
Daniele suspected Jessica's true intentions. Still faintly disturbed by the encounter with the bluish freak, Jessica had reluctantly gone for a girl's night out with her friends, whilst Daniele enjoyed the mall alone.  
  
At last. No more constant reminders about watching your back, or shying away from suspicious figures, or blending in with the crowd to avoid detection. No more teases of Jessica being an overprotective girlfriend. That title didn't mingle well with Daniele's fast increasing fame in the Magic tournament scene. His latest threshold deck, attributable to the latest Odyssey block, had sent many players in shell shock as he wiped the board with the carcass of their dead creatures. Them overgrown squirrels were a force to behold.  
  
Now, Daniele would rather hear acquaintances whistling cheekily, and mocking wedding songs then the muffled footsteps of the stalker. Daniele had managed to catch a glimpse of the revered blue-skinned Metathran. Agnate had somehow acquired a long trench coat, causing him to blend in with the crowd easily. A lady, in her mid-forties, wearing a face of irritancy, scoured high and low for her missing children. Acting like a clumsy ogre, a word describing her size well enough, she accidentally bumped into Agnate, and beheld the horror of Agnate's extraordinary complexion. She threatened to scream in sheer fright, but her opened mouth stayed gapping, soundless. Agnate irritably waved his palm in an arc, faint blue energy encompassing his hand as he modified the memory of the woman.  
  
In fact, he completely erased all memory. Agnate continued on his hunt, while the bewildered woman questioned passer-bys to her whereabouts and identity.  
  
That incident gave Daniele enough time to summon the aid of a security guard. While Daniele hid behind a pillar to witness the ensuing scene, the brave fellow walked right up to Agnate. A young aspiring guard, armed with intimidating moustache and a stern stare. Daniele had placed high hopes on the muscular figure. Perhaps he would be able to overpower the Metathran.  
  
Of course, if Jessica was there, she'd say, in her matter-of-fact voice, "Metathrans are elite soldiers. The guard won't stand a chance." Unfortunately, Jessica wasn't present, and Daniele wasn't exactly alert to such painful details of the Magic world.  
  
The guard went to his practiced routine, and demanded Agnate's cooperation in answering a few questions. Twitching his moustache, the guard stopped short at "First question..." when he spied upon Agnate's visage, hidden beneath the hood accompanying the coat. Immediately, he backed away and retrieved his walkie-talkie. He shouted into it, his voice serrated due to fear, but all he received in return was static. In shock and awe, the guard noticed Agnate's hand, which now held a spear of some otherworldly origin, radiating with azure power.  
  
In a booming voice, as though amplified by a microphone, Agnate called for Daniele.  
  
"Enough games child. Do not force my hand."  
  
Daniele felt a cold sweat trickle down his forehead. His eyes darted quickly from left to right, looking for an alternative route out of the mall. Agnate cocked his head back. A satisfying crunch brought a smile to his face. The guard stood petrified, feet frozen to the ground, demeanor lost in the sea of uncertainty.  
  
"Fine then. You leave me no choice." Agnate called forth the reserves of blue mana and accumulated them in his unarmed hand. The mana amassed onto Agnate's clenched fist, forming a spherical aura around it. The guard could only admire the astonishing, along with a few from the crowd, curious at this street magician's illusion. Daniele refused to budge, though his brain screamed for a retreat.  
  
Just then, the windowed top of the mall burst in a deafening sound, sending the crowd into chaos, all running to take cover from the shower of glass. Incidentally, a large slab of the glass pane headed straight for Agnate. The Metathran dived for cover, escaping only by utilizing the mana to slow the descend of the pane.  
  
Daniele was unharmed in all this. All the shards seem to have evaded Daniele. Confused by the commotion, the crowd gradually braved themselves to peeked at the night sky, and watched as the dark sheet gave birth to a blinding star. It grew bigger and bigger, or rather closer and closer, and was heading towards Agnate. Like a meteor from the heavens, the entity plummeted with inhumane speed. Agnate encompassed himself with blue mana and braced himself for contact, all with a good reason. Upon touchdown, an explosion erupted. The force literally blew the crowd away. Daniele dropped to the floor, as the shockwave blew the pillar he sought refuge from into pieces, showering debris onto his back.  
  
Even as the explosion subsided, the radiant light resulting from the explosion continued to span, like a spreading plague, until it washed the mall with a pallid blanket of luminosity. And suddenly, the light faded away, leaving behind nothing but turmoil and mayhem in its wake.

* * *

Jessica eagerly exited her transportation, driven by the ever-careful Tiara, and bade farewell to her friends. Georgina, the tomboy of the group, teased Jessica just before the car drove off in an undulation of laughter. Jessica could only sigh at her remark.  
  
'Say 'hi' to Mr. Jessica for me.' The cheek of Georgina repeated in Jessica's head. If only they understood the reason for Jessica's action.  
  
Then again, even Jessica sometimes questioned her motives, and doubted her sincerity. Was she really that worried that Agnate might capture Daniele? For all they knew, she and Daniele had just stumbled upon a set from the next Magic the Gathering movie. Of course, Daniele's little spell didn't help support her musing.  
  
Suddenly, she felt a tingle emanating from the direction of the mall, and a sense of urgency took over. She barged into her home, surprising the resident cat and her parents. Their questions of concern were drowned out by Jessica's own thoughts, as she stormed into Daniele's room.  
  
It was empty. A note on the table, written in neat font and letters, was Daniele explaining his trip to the mall.

* * *

Agnate removed his aching body from the floor. Trembling, he stood back up on his feet and surveyed the scene. The mall was in a mess. Debris lay everywhere, dust clouds polluted the air, and bodies of unfortunate souls littered the complex. None received fatal wounds, and Agnate wasn't about to stay behind and help. He had other pressing matters to attend to.  
  
For instance, Daniele's disappearance. Agnate studied the last location of the boy, running his mana-induced fingers with a detection spell.  
  
It was confirmed, she had succeeded in planeshift. And she had taken the boy with her. Agnate punched his fist to a nearby display case in fury, before realizing the encroaching S.W.A.T team. Agnate had heard of these well-trained elites of the Earth realm's security force and licked his half-putrid lips satisfyingly, ignoring the unpleasant aftertaste. It would be a worthy challenge.

* * *

Daniele awoke to the sound of chirping birds. The moss-covered earth was soft and cool, and Daniele contemplated lying there for a tad longer. 'Maybe mom will let me stay home today.' thought Daniele happily. It was then, that he realized he wasn't on his bed. Sitting up in a hurry, Daniele nervously noted his surroundings. Tall trees towered around him, their thick canopy shielding most of the sunlight. The stream ran quietly in its trail, occasionally producing hints of fishes living within.

A grizzly suddenly crashed out of a thicket and swatted at the river. Daniele stared puzzlingly at the creature as it threw a second paw at the stream. A third attempt yielded a fidgeting fish, which the grizzly struggled to catch hold.  
  
Then, it lifted its nose to the air and its eyes focused upon Daniele, sending a shiver down his spine. The beast lumbered over to Daniele, who, remembering those boy scout lessons, fell right down on his back and played dead.  
  
It was his mistake, as he missed an amazing transformation.  
  
"Welcome to Dominaria."  
  
Daniele sat back up in astonishment, and could only stare at the robed figure sitting in front of him, cross-legged. The grizzly had vanished into thin air.  
  
"We have been expecting you."


End file.
